Road Trip
by Dream Tone
Summary: Emma/Shalimar slash. Emma and Shalimar go on a road trip to a concert.
1. Chapter 1

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Title: Road Trip

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Pairing: Emma/Shalimar

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Summary: Emma and Shalimar go on a road trip to a concert.

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Disclaimer: The characters of Mutant X and the band Linkin Park do not belong to me in any way. I am only borrowing them for the sake of this story. No copyright infringement was intended. Any characters you do not recognize belong to me.

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A/N: This is my very first Mutant X fic ever. If the characters seem to act strange, pay no attention. After all, this story isn't real anyway. Just a BIG figment of my imagination. As always, please RER: read, enjoy, review. Pretty please with mutants on top?

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Emma paced back and forth frantically in her room, waiting for Shalimar to come with either the good news or the bad news. Her mind was working over a million miles a minute and she could hardly contain any of her thoughts. Her heart was racing and her palms were starting to get all sweaty and clammy. 

The only other time she was ever like this was back in high school, senior year. Emma smiled at the memory as she remembered what she and her friend had done on one particular day. Before she was able to go into detail, Shalimar ran into the room holding a white envelope.

Emma stopped her frantic pacing and turned to face her friend. "Did you get them? Please tell me you got them! Well, did you? Did you?!"

Shalimar looked at her with an amused grin plastered on her face before waving the envelope in front of Emma's face. "I got them!"

Emma screamed with joy and threw her arms around Shalimar, jumping up and down and hugging her so tight that not even Brennan would have been able to break free. Shalimar hugged her friend back and just smiled. They stayed that way for a couple of minutes before Emma pulled away from the embrace. She looked excited as she went to her closet and started rummaging through to find what clothes she would wear.

"What should I wear? My gosh, I don't have anything! Should I wear this? No, how about this? Shalimar don't just stand there. Come help me! This is an important event!"

Shalimar grinned and shook her head. "Not so fast Emma. The concert's not until next week. I do believe you have plenty of time left."

"Yeah, but still… It's better to be ready than to be one of those last minute people. RIGHT, SHALIMAR?" Emma looked at her with a cocky expression on her face.

Shalimar immediately got what she was saying. "Hey! That was only one time! And I had an excuse!"

"Oh, yeah? Please remind me because I suddenly forgot."

"Well, I had to…umm…there was this…uhh…person! Yeah, person! I had to rescue her."

"Yeah, right. You know Shalimar, you're getting worse at lying with each one you tell. You really need to work on that. You know better than to try and fool me. I'm not just some ordinary person." Emma tapped her head to prove her point.

Shalimar just stood there with her mouth open. "You've been in my head? Whatever happened to the privacy rule you had set out for us?"

Emma smiled. "I don't have to be in your head to know that you're lying. I mean, come on, you suck at it."

Shalimar just smirked at her and then broke out into a grin. "You know, I don't HAVE to take you to this concert. I'll just go ask Brennan or Jesse if they want to tag along instead." She made her way to the door and proceeded to exit through it.

Emma, with a horrified expression on her face, ran to Shalimar and grabbed her arm. "No!! I was just goofing with you! No need to take this seriously." She let go of Shalimar's arm and waited for a reaction.

Shalimar slowly turned around and smiled at Emma. "I know. I was just goofing too. I know how much you love Linkin Park. I wouldn't want you to miss it."

Emma sighed and turned back around, heading to the closet. "Whew!! For a minute there I thought you weren't fooling around! I got scared." She pulled out an outfit and looked at it for a few seconds before tossing it back into the closet. "So how do you think Jesse and Brennan will react to this? I'm guessing they're going to get pissed off at us and complain."

Shalimar went over and started looking through some clothes too. "I don't know and I really couldn't care less. Remember how mean they were being to us last time when they got tickets for that other concert? Well, just think of this as payback with interest because this time, we have free backstage passes to meet them! Just think of how much madder they'll get!" She burst out laughing as she pictured Brennan and Jesse turning red with anger and envy.

Emma laughed too as she also pictured it in her head. "Now I can't wait!"

Shalimar pulled out an outfit and examined it for a few seconds. "How about this? I think it'll look good on you. It looks brand new."

Emma turned to her and eyed the outfit Shalimar held in her hands. "It is new. Barely bought it a few days ago. I haven't even worn it yet." She eyed it for a couple more minutes. "Perfect! I'll wear it to the concert. A brand new outfit for me to wear while jamming out to my favorite all-time band! That day is going to be one of the best days of my life!"

Shalimar just smiled and looked at Emma, glad that she was able to make her so happy. _I should do this more often. It makes me happy just to see her happy._

Emma felt eyes looking at her and turned to Shalimar. She blushed slightly as their eyes made contact. She quickly turned away to hide her face so Shalimar wouldn't see the redness creeping up in her cheeks. Unbeknownst to Emma, Shalimar had already seen her but didn't say anything about it. The last thing Shalimar wanted was to make Emma uncomfortable around her. So she kept her mouth closed and smiled in her head.

Emma started cleaning up the mess that they had made in the closet and tried to calm down. Her heart had been beating rapidly when Shalimar made eye contact with her. Which was weird because that had never happened before. _What's wrong with me? I've never done that before and suddenly, out-of-the-blue, I start blushing! Shalimar's just a friend. Nothing like that should have ever happened. What's wrong with me?_

She shook the thoughts from her head as Shalimar bent over to help her. When they finished straightening out the closet, Shalimar turned to Emma. "Want to help me find some clothes to wear also? I think we should leave tomorrow that way we can go sightseeing before the concert and really call it memorable! Besides, if I don't get through with it now, I'll probably hold off until the last minute. And I wouldn't want that to happen again!"

Emma laughed. "No, you wouldn't. After I help you with the main ordeal, I should probably start packing for the days to follow up until the concert. And you should too! No help from me though!" Emma looked back at her closet and sighed. "I guess I'll have to mess up my closet again. Oh, well! Let's go my friend! On to that forbidden closet of yours!"

They laughed and walked out of Emma's room, heading to Shalimar's and gossiping about the upcoming concert. They ran into Adam on the way and informed him of the great news.

Emma's eyes glistened as she got excited once again. "So what do you think Adam? That's wonderful isn't it?"

"I'm guessing Shalimar used her feral abilities to run to the ticket booth to get there before anyone else, am I right?"

Shalimar nodded with a guilty expression on her face. "I had to Adam! They would've been sold out if I ran at the pace of a normal human! I barely got there anyway! Even with my ability!"

Adam just chuckled and held up his hand for Shalimar to stop babbling. "Shalimar it's okay! I perfectly understand. Just do me a favor."

Shalimar nodded. "What?"

"Can you also do the same for me? It'll save a great deal of trouble, especially with what happened last time I tried to get some tickets of my own."

"Sure. Anything for you."

Adam smiled and walked on to the lab. He didn't hear Shalimar mumble to Emma, "As long as we get what we want." They snickered and walked on, entering Shalimar's room and heading straight for her closet. 

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So what do you think so far? Don't worry, the romance will come on a bit later and the next chapter is the beginning of the whole road trip. And as always, don't forget to review! All comments welcome, including flames.

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	2. Chapter 2

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A/N: Here's the next installment for this fic! It's safe to say that the adventure is just beginning! Now, on to the story… 

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The next morning, Emma and Shalimar were already up and out of bed by the time the others came stumbling downstairs, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of their eyes. Jesse went straight for the fridge while Brennan sat at the breakfast table and laid his head down on the table, mumbling. As usual, Adam had been up for hours working in the lab. They decided to let him be and continued on with their slow morning.

After breakfast, Jesse went to get Adam to inform him that Emma and Shalimar were ready to leave. While waiting in the garage, Brennan couldn't help himself and burst out with the thing that had been on his mind since he was informed of the trip. "I can't believe you didn't tell me and Jesse about the concert. You know we love that band also! Why didn't you tell us?"

Shalimar looked at Emma and broke out in a huge grin. "All's fair in love and war. In this case, it was war. Remember the last time you and Jess mysteriously forgot to tell us about that other concert? Think of this as a payback. What's more, we also have backstage passes which makes this an even sweeter revenge." She smiled at him and continued packing their luggage into the trunk of one of Adam's cars they would be borrowing from the garage.

Brennan glared at her backside and turned to Emma. "Is that really the reason? Do you really believe that garbage that Shalimar told you? Why?"

Emma smiled at him. "Because she wasn't lying. She was telling the straight truth. If she really had been lying, I would've known. Believe me. And that did hurt when you and Jesse went to that concert without telling us. Like Shalimar said, this is just a payback."

Brennan leaned back against the wall and murmured, "Yeah. Payback's a bitch." 

Emma smirked at him and turned around to help Shalimar when Jesse came in with Adam. They all waited there until the girls had finished loading the car before Adam piped up.

"So, ya'll are ready to go now?" 

The girls both nodded before turning around to face two angry men and a calm and cool one. Upon the look on Jesse and Brennan's face, they couldn't help but laugh. Which got them even angrier than they already were. Brennan scowled before mumbling a low 'good-bye' and heading back inside. 

Jesse was a bit nicer with his approach. "Bye, girls. Hope you both have a good time." He threw them a half-smile before turning around and also heading inside.

Emma and Shalimar just looked at each other and smiled before going around to the driver and passenger sides of the car. They had decided the night before that Shalimar would be the one to drive. They got into the car and looked at Adam, who had come up on the passenger side. 

"You girls just be careful. I wouldn't want anything to happen to two of the members of Mutant X, not to mention my two favorite gals in the whole world!" He smiled at them before continuing. "I'll see the both of you next week, in one piece hopefully. Have a good time." And with that, he stepped back and waved at them before heading through the door that Brennan and Jesse made their way through not two minutes before.

Shalimar turned the key in the ignition and peeled out of the driveway, laughing as she thought of the expression that Adam might have conjured up when he heard her peel out. She told Emma, who also burst out laughing. Emma looked back and tried to see if Adam was still there, but with no such luck. They were already too far out on the road to see. She turned back around and closed her eyes for a minute to relish in the sweet freedom she felt at that very moment.

Shalimar looked at Emma and couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked in the sunlight that shone through the vehicle's windows. Emma's hair seemed to glow an even more beautiful shade of red, with hints of gold streaks in them. It ran down the side of her face and spilled out over her shoulder, stopping just beneath the shoulder blades. Her face was illuminated by the light, which made her look like a complete angel.

Suddenly, Emma opened her eyes and turned to face Shalimar, catching her eye. Shalimar inwardly took a deep breath as she gazed into Emma's eyes. They seemed to dance with amusement and shone more brightly than usual. Shalimar tore her eyes away from Emma's and put her concentration back on the road. She didn't want to cause a car accident and she surely didn't want Emma to see her turning red after being caught staring at her.

Emma, on the other hand, was caught by surprise when she met Shalimar's eyes. She wanted to gaze into them forever but Shalimar had turned her attention back onto the road. Emma had sensed something in Shalimar but couldn't quite put her finger on it. She pushed it aside and decided to look out the window instead. 

For a few minutes, there was complete and dead silence as they both tried to collect their thoughts. Pretty soon, the silence became unbearable and Shalimar couldn't take it any longer, so she turned on the radio. Rock music blasted out of the speakers and seemed to kill the tension that had so rudely invaded the car.

Emma decided to be the first one to speak. "So how far is the concert?"

Shalimar thanked Emma in her head for breaking the silence and answered. "Well, the place where it's being held is only a day away. From the pace that I'm going, we should be there by tonight."

Emma gawked at her. "Tonight?! Then why the hell did we leave this early?"

Shalimar threw Emma a big Kool-Aid smile. "So we can have some fun at the clubs! And not to mention prowl around the city late at night. I've heard it's quite interesting."

"Shalimar, you are one crazy person. But that's what I like about you. You sure know how to have fun!" She stared out the window at the trees before the realization hit her. "Shalimar!! Does Adam know about this? Did you tell him?" She looked at Shalimar and waited for an answer.

"No, he doesn't know. He just thinks that it's somewhere out of state. The funny thing is he didn't even bother asking. That's not like him."

Emma slumped back against the seat and sighed. "He's going to kill us when he finds out. At least we have our com-links in case of trouble."

"Yeah, see? Everything's working out just fine. No need to worry."

No sooner than Shalimar said that than the back tire from the right side blew out, causing such an exploding sound that Emma shrieked and jumped up, bumping her head on the top of the car. Shalimar quickly pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the engine, waiting for it to completely die down before getting out to inspect. Emma rubbed her bruised head and got out of the car too, making her way to Shalimar who was already bent over examining the damage. 

"Is it a flat tire, Shal?" The young telempathic searched Shalimar's face for an answer and soon received one. Not the one she was hoping for though.

"More than you know. Not only did the tire get busted but it looks like the remains of it seem to be stuck up in the car. It looks like it's dislodging something also."

"Can you fix it?"

Shalimar frowned. "Nope. I haven't a clue about cars. The only thing I know how to do with it is drive and put gas. Other than that, I'm at a complete loss. From the looks of it so far, I have a feeling that this is definitely not good. All that we can do now is call the tow truck service and await the bad news."

"Do you know how much it's going to cost to get a new tire? Why don't we just call Adam? He can come get us and drop us off at the city where the concert's being held."

Shalimar looked at Emma like she was crazy. "Are you crazy or something? Adam'll kill us when he finds out what we did to his car! Not to mention that he doesn't know exactly how close we are to the city. If we call him, we'll both be walking to our executions. You don't want that, do you?"

Emma thought about the pros and cons of their situation for a long while before deciding that Shalimar was right. They couldn't risk calling Adam or he'd take away this once-in-a-lifetime chance away from them. Which, in Emma's case, wasn't a good thing. Especially now that they had backstage passes, which was better than anything that had happened in her entire life next to being recruited for Mutant X.

She turned to Shalimar. "You're right. Let's not call Adam. Just call the tow trucks and tell them about our trouble here on the road."

Shalimar went over to the passenger side and reached in through the window to get the cell phone that was lying in between the two front seats. Before dialing, she turned to Emma. "Umm, Emma? What's the number to the tow truck service?"

Emma turned to Shalimar and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I thought you did."

Shalimar closed her eyes and a huge sigh escaped from her lips. _This can't be happening. Not only are we stuck in the middle of nowhere, but I can't even remember the damn number to get us out of here. What else could go wrong?_

"Shalimar? I don't think this was exactly the best spot to stop in. Look!"

Shalimar opened her eyes and followed Emma's finger to the spot she was pointing to. Her eyes opened wide as she saw three BIG snakes make their way out of the holes that were in the ground and slowly advance upon them, their yellow eyes looking at the both of them with a sadistic glance.

Emma wasted no time. She screamed and ran behind Shalimar, holding on to her shoulders, certain that the blonde feral would protect her. Shalimar flashed her golden yellow eyes at them, but it didn't work. The snakes kept on advancing and Shalimar was certain that she saw one of the snakes smirk at her. She slowly backed up, Emma still behind her. Emma couldn't take it anymore and jumped onto the back of the car, quickly making her way to the highest point of safety as she could. Right now, she didn't care if anyone driving by thought she was crazy. She just wanted to get out of there, and fast.

Back on the ground, Shalimar kept on trying to ward them off, but to no avail. They kept on slowly advancing, never taking their eyes off their target, their forked tongues slithering in and out of their mouths. Shalimar bumped against the car and realized that she couldn't back away any longer. The biggest one of the three reared up its fat head and looked as if it were ready to strike. Emma, still on top of the car, yelled for Shalimar to get away.

Shalimar turned her head towards Emma and said she could handle them. That was a big mistake. The snake took that opportunity of distraction and hissed, jerking its head forward, mouth open and venom at the ready to bite the feral. 

"Shalimar, look out!!"

Shalimar turned around and was greeted with the sight of a striking snake heading straight towards her. 

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Ooohhh!!! What do you think is going to happen? Will Shalimar be fast enough to dodge it? We all know how fast snakes can strike. Maybe she'll make it, maybe she won't… As always, don't forget to review! All comments welcome, including flames. 


	3. Chapter 3

No notes except: read, enjoy, and review.

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Before Shalimar had time to react, the snake looked as if some unseen force struck it. It flew back into the grass and just laid there like a piece of string. Shalimar turned to Emma with a questioning look on her face. Emma, in return, flashed her a half-smile and pointed to her head.

"You used your psi-blast?"

Emma nodded. "Well, I couldn't let that hideous thing bite you or anything."

"Wait a minute! What about the other two?" Shalimar turned her attention back to the other snakes and was surprised to see them both in the same condition as the first one. She looked at Emma again, who just nodded.

"I dealt with those two before the little incident. You should be glad I'm here, otherwise, you'd be on the ground right now as snake meat."

"So I'm guessing you put them into some sort of deep slumber?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah. This power always comes in handy."

"Thank God. Which is another reason why I like having you around."

Emma grinned slowly. "So what are the other reasons you like having me around? I'm dying to know." 

Shalimar looked at Emma with a blush in her cheeks. She couldn't very well tell Emma that she was beginning to develop a crush on her. Staring at her all the time like some lovesick little boy. Ruining a perfectly good friendship was something that Shalimar never wanted to encounter. Besides, even if she did tell Emma, what would her reaction be? One full of disgust? Anger? She didn't want to take that chance so she told Emma, "You know. Girl talk, shopping, the usual things we always do." And left it at that.

Emma could sense there was something else on Shalimar's mind but didn't pry any farther. When Shalimar was ready to say what was bugging her, she would do so. She didn't want to invade Shalimar's thoughts, but the temptation of doing so to see what was wrong was bugging the hell out of her. That's when she remembered the promise she made to her other teammates about staying out of their heads for their own personal privacy. And she didn't intend to break that promise. Not now, not ever. So she let Shalimar be. 

"Hey, Em. You in there?" Shalimar waved her hand in front of Emma's face, trying to break her out of her reverie. She was asking Emma a question but the redhead showed no sign of paying any kind of attention to her.

Emma snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh? Yeah, of course I'm here. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was asking you something and you seemed lost in your own thoughts. Not to mention the fact that you didn't answer me for the fifth time. Are you feeling okay?" Shalimar put her hand up to Emma's forehead and felt for a temperature. "You feel okay."

Emma gently grabbed Shalimar's hand that was on her forehead. "That's because I am okay. Just…thinking. About personal things." She looked down and realized she was still holding Shalimar's hand in her own and chickened out, quickly letting go. She blushed and turned away from Shalimar, blocking the sun that seemed to come out of nowhere from her eyes. "So how long is it to the next town? Since we don't know the number we might of as well hike."

"To tell you the truth, I really don't know either. Maybe we can ask for a ride." She turned to the road and searched for any sign of a vehicle that could give them a ride to the next town over. She spotted one coming and got ready to hold out her hand. When the car was in seeing distance, she held her hand out as high as she could. The car, on the other hand, sped by, ignoring her and splashing little specks of mud all over her black outfit.

This infuriated Shalimar and she felt like running after the idiot who was in the car to show them who was boss. She was stopped by Emma, who quietly told her to forget them since they had bigger problems to worry about. Shalimar took one look at Emma and her mood softened. _How can I stay mad when I see such a gorgeous face as that one? She seems to be the only one who can tame me._

Shalimar smiled at that thought and faced Emma. "Well, let's see you do any better, Miss Let's-Forget-Them-Since-We-Have-Bigger-Problems. Think you can do better?" She raised her eyebrows in a challenge and smiled inwardly as she saw Emma take the bait.

"I do believe I can do better than that, Miss Let-Me-Pound-That-Idiot-Into-Mush. Stand aside and let the true master do her work." Emma then stepped past Shalimar and looked into the road for another sign of an upcoming vehicle. She spotted a big truck coming their way and held out her hand to signal for the driver to stop.

Much to both of their surprise, it did stop. Emma composed her shocked face and turned it into a smirk before spinning around to face Shalimar. "See? All you had to do was ask me and we'd probably be on our merry way to the next town in search of a tow truck. Next time, let me handle this kind of situation."

They both turned when they heard the door open and peeked inside to see who their savior was. They were met with the sight of a fat, bald man sitting in the driver's seat. He looked to be in his late thirties and was wearing a dirty pair of torn, blue jeans with a beige-colored long-sleeve shirt covering his potbelly of a stomach. He had on a pair of red snakeskin boots and wore silver rings on all of his fingers. Around his neck hung a chain with a silver pendant of a cross hanging from it. He greeted them with a somewhat friendly smile. "You two need a ride somewhere? I'd be happy to give one to you." He eyed them with a glance and grunted before turning his view to the road.

Emma smiled sweetly at him. "Yes, we do. Just give us a moment to get our things from the trunk."

Shalimar faced her. "Why do we need our things? We'll be back in a couple of hours." Shalimar eyed Emma questioningly.

"Cause I have a feeling we won't be coming back. Just follow my lead."

Shalimar nodded and took the keys out of her pocket, jogging to the car and opening the trunk. She pulled out the two small luggage bags and shut the trunk, locking it before turning around and heading back to Emma. "Okay, Einstein. What do we do now?"

"Just follow my lead." Emma took one bag and pushed it into the truck, climbing up behind it and moving towards the back. Shalimar followed her lead and did the same, shutting the door behind her. She sat in the front seat and the man put the truck out of park and into gear, checking for traffic and pulling the monstrous vehicle back onto the road.

"So, where're you headed?"

"The next town would be just fine. If that's not too much trouble." Shalimar eyed the man suspiciously before looking back at Emma with a curious glance. The man, in turn, nodded and put his concentration back onto the road ahead of them.

For the rest of that time, all three occupants remained silent. There was no pressure to break the silence and no one seemed to want to speak. That is, until Shalimar noticed that the man had turned onto a narrow, dirt road and was calmly hobbling his way along like nothing was happening. Shalimar quickly looked outside and realized that they were in the middle of nowhere, heading to God knows where. She turned to the man and confronted him about this.

"Where the hell are we going? This isn't the next town. Where are you taking us?" The man just looked at her with an evil glint in his eye but didn't answer. Which got Shalimar angrier. "I want to know where the hell you're taking us and why! Answer me or I'll beat the living shit out of you!"

This caused a laugh to erupt from the man. "Or what? You going to beat me to death with your bare hands? I'd love to see that!" He let out another laugh and finally pulled the big truck to a stop with a screeching halt. 

Shalimar flashed her golden-yellow eyes at him for a second before muttering in a low voice, "You may get your wish sooner than you think, buddy." Before she could do real damage, however, the man shut the door in her face. She turned to Emma, who had a scared look on her face, and decided that violence wouldn't be the way to go, at least not until the time presented itself. Before she could give thought to the matter, the door on her side opened and the man roughly grabbed her arm and pulled her out.

"Tell your little friend to get out here as well. I want to present the both of you with a little reward for being such wonderful little gals."

Emma climbed out before Shalimar could call for her and walked slowly towards them. The man let go of Shalimar and grabbed Emma instead. "I think I'll start with this one here." 

He pushed Emma back against the truck and leaned in to kiss her. Emma yelled and unsuccessfully pushed at the man, trying to get him to back off. He just laughed and held her hands down even tighter, forcing his body to pin her between him and the truck.

Shalimar, meanwhile, watched this with a look that was far from angry. _He is going too far! No one, and I mean NO ONE, touches Emma like that! I believe now's the time to use that violence._ She ran over to the struggling people and tapped the man on the shoulder.

"What? You want a piece of me too?" He let go of Emma and turned around, finding his jaw being connected with Shalimar's fist. His head snapped back with the impact and he went flying, landing hard against the truck and slumping to the ground, unconscious. 

Shalimar then turned to Emma, who was preoccupied with the fallen man on the ground, a scared and pale look on her face. Shalimar cupped her cheek with one hand and gently turned Emma's face towards her own, out of the sight of her attempted raper. "Emma, sweetie? Look at me. It's going to be okay. He won't hurt you ever again. I won't let him."

Emma looked at Shalimar with tears in her eyes. "Oh, my gosh, Shal! I was scared! I really thought he was going to do it! I didn't know what to do!" 

Her body started racking into sobs and Shalimar put her arms around the stricken woman, hugging her with as much sympathy as she could muster. Emma's legs gave way and she fell to her knees, pulling Shalimar down with her. For a long time, hours it seemed when it was really minutes, they stayed in that position, not talking. Just staying in the comfort of each other's arms. 

Shalimar, however, knew the man would wake up anytime soon, so she gently pulled back from the embrace and grabbed Emma by the shoulders. "We should get out of here. He might wake up soon and it looks like night is going to fall in just a few more hours. Are you up to it?"

Emma nodded and wiped the trail of wetness on her face that her tears had left behind. Shalimar gave her a sympathetic smile and went inside the truck to retrieve their luggage. She came back out and an idea formed in her head. She wasn't sure if Emma would be up to it though. She decided to give it a try anyway.

"Emma, I know you're not going to like this idea, but with the situation we're in, I don't see we have any choice. Ready to hear it?" She waited for Emma to nod before continuing. "Since we don't know how to drive this hunk of metal and since we're so far out of town, I think we should hitch a ride with someone." She saw Emma with a horrified look on her face and about to protest when she cut her off.

"Wait. Just hear me out. I'll make sure that this time, we're going in the right direction and we won't take for any kind of big truck. I'll make sure that they stop the car with any sign of a difference and I'll be right there to stop them if they try anything weird. You do trust me, right? You do know I wouldn't have suggested this if we weren't in this mess, right? If you don't agree and just want to hike, I'll perfectly understand that. So what do you say?"

Shalimar looked at Emma and hoped that she would agree. Shalimar knew that those were sorry-ass reasons but she didn't want to stay outside hiking in the dark with all kinds of lurkers out there, especially with Emma there to encounter it all. She looked at the expression on Emma's face, which was unreadable, and prayed that she would agree with her.

After what seemed like a long time, Emma answered, "Sure. I don't want to be out here in the dark anyway. Not after what happened." She shuddered and squeaked at the thought of what would have happened if Shalimar hadn't been there.

Shalimar half-smiled at her and grabbed her bag. "Well, let's hit the road then!" She waited for Emma to gather her things before heading back down the dirt road to the main one, both of them silent as they walked shoulder-to-shoulder to head to their next destination.

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GRRR!!! That stupid man!! Would I give anything to just jump in there and beat the living crap out of him! Whew… Excuse me. I just got caught up in that moment there and had to speak my mind. Anyway, please review. I'm dying to know what you all thought of this chapter. All comments welcome, including flames. 


	4. Chapter 4

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A/N: Sorry about the long wait, but this fic is turning out _way_ differently than I had anticipated, not to mention the fact that I've been pretty busy. That's hardly ever happened to me before. So anyway, thanks go to the reviewers who actually took the time to review this fic. That means a lot to me. Really it does. And I think I have a pretty good idea of where I'm going with this fic. Unless it changes again… But, that's not the point! (wink, wink) 

Before I forget, it's been awhile since I wrote the last chapter and if things begin here a little differently, don't mind it or me. I'm just a clueless loser who has no talent whatsoever. Now…on with the story!!

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Emma and Shalimar got lucky. They were able to find a ride with an old couple who posed no threat whatsoever. After all, they were elderly. The only bad thing was that the couple couldn't stop telling them stories about when they were young. It seemed to go on for hours and hours as all thoughts of earlier left the minds of both women.

As grateful as Emma was to hear lots of different stories, especially when they came from Adam, she was beginning to get bored. She figured she wouldn't want to hear anymore after this little experience. Shalimar, on the other hand, was bored right from the beginning. She didn't like trips down memory lane and these people weren't making it any easier for her. At one point, Shalimar wanted to just kindly tell them if they could be quiet, but she didn't know how elderly people took to that kind of news so she just gritted her teeth and kept on listening.

Suddenly, out-of-the-blue, the old man looked at Emma and Shalimar through the rearview mirror and asked them a question. "So, where are you two headed?"

Emma and Shalimar exchanged glances at the sudden turn in conversation. Emma spoke up. "We're headed to a concert."

The old woman slightly turned in her seat. "Oh, really? How nice. Well, I hope the both of you have a very swell time. I can still remember my first concert. It was on a very nice summer day when…" And before either of the gals knew it, another round of storytelling had begun.

Emma groaned loud enough for only Shalimar to hear. "I like stories, but even this is too much for me! Shal, how much longer until we reach that damn town? I'm gonna go crazy if I hear anymore 'when we were young' stories!" Emma slumped down in her seat and laid her head back against the headrest.

Shalimar scowled. "You're telling me. I was already going crazy when they started up with the whole thing! I'm surprised I've even lasted this long. Usually I'd nod off but somehow, I can't do it this time." Shalimar looked at the old woman and interrupted her for a short while. "Um, excuse me. Not to be rude or anything because I'm really enjoying these stories, but how much longer till the next town? Me and my friend are really anxious to get there."

"Oh, that's alright dear. We know how much you youngsters enjoy a true classic tale. Honey, how much longer till we get there?" The old woman turned to her husband and waited for an answer.

"Till now. We're already here!"

Emma and Shalimar shot up and looked out the windows. It was already dark since the man drove only about 55 mph during the whole trip, no surprise there. Both of the girls got excited as they saw building after building pass by them. Finally! No more stories.

Shalimar turned to the man. "You can just drop us off at the nearest inn."

Emma nudged her in the side and whispered, "An inn? What about a hotel? We can afford that!"

"I know but we need to save whatever money we have for important stuff."

"What can be more important than that?!"

Shalimar smiled. "Oh, you know. The _really _important stuff. Like souvenirs and partying! If Adam's car hadn't broken down, we wouldn't have to spend anything for staying in places overnight. I have a friend who would have gladly let us stay at his place. But unfortunately, he doesn't live here so now we have to spend our 'fun money' on something that's cheaper than a hotel, which is an inn. If we spend it on a hotel, then we won't have anything to party with. Get what I'm saying?"

Emma nodded. "Yeah, except for one major flaw. Did you ever consider how much it would cost to get a tow truck to come and get Adam's car? Or how much it would cost to get a new tire? That's probably all of our money down the drain."

Shalimar moaned. "Emma! Did you have to bring that up? I was totally basking in my moment of glory when it happened to be shattered by that problem. What are we gonna do? I don't want to spend it on some stupid car. Well, I guess there's only one thing left to do."

"Yes. No partying or souvenirs. Just a fixed car and the concert."

"No! I was thinking more like no car. Souvenirs and partying here we come! Oh, and the concert too."

"Shalimar, you know we have to get the car fixed. Otherwise, we can't get to the concert or the clubs." Emma smiled at Shalimar's reaction.

Shalimar sucked in a deep breath before blowing it out slowly. "You know? Sometimes I hate it when you're right. Alright fine. We'll fix the car. Even though it'll blow up our chances of having fun. Happy now?"

Emma gave her a victorious grin. "Yup! Now I'm happy! And I'll even agree to sleep in an inn."

Emma's victory was cut short by the old man's voice. "We're here! Do you girls need help with your bags?"

Shalimar got out and headed towards the trunk to get their things. "No thanks. Me and Emma can handle it from here."

Emma followed Shalimar's lead and got out also. "Yeah. Thanks for giving us a ride though. We'd still be stuck somewhere out there if it weren't for you. Thanks again."

The old woman smiled. "Why, it's no problem to us dear. We were glad to help you out."

All three heard the trunk slam down. "I gonna go check us in, Emma. I'll be right back." She turned to the woman. "Thanks for helping us out. Maybe we'll see you around sometime, okay? Goodbye." Shalimar turned and headed inside the main office for the front desk with both of their bags.

Emma watched her go in before turning back to the couple. "Well, I hope we meet up with each other sometime soon. I really enjoyed the time we got to spend with you. Bye." She backed away from the vehicle and waved. They waved back and before Emma knew it, they were out on the road, their backlights getting smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the night.

Emma turned and waited for Shalimar outside on the sidewalk. She watched as the feral received the key to their room and grabbed the luggage as she hauled herself out to where Emma stood. Shalimar put Emma's bag on the ground. She playfully shoved Emma. "I don't know what I was thinking when I saw myself holding your bag. I'm pretty sure you can carry it yourself. Am I right or am I right?"

"No. You're wrong. I mean, look at my arms. They're weak and I can barely hold myself up. I'm so tired! You can go ahead and carry it. I don't mind." She gave Shalimar a smug grin.

"Ha ha ha. Very funny. But I, however, do mind. Don't you think I'm tired myself?" Shalimar posed and pretended to look tired. 

"No. You're supposed to be strong, remember? You are a feral and that's your nature."

"Well, how about you? You're a telempath. Can't you just make yourself think you're energetic? After all, tiredness does come from the mind. That's why everyone gets tired, right? Cause it's all in the mind."

"No, it's not. People get tired because their bodies need rest. It's not a mind thing. At least I think it's not."

"Well, even if it's not, I think we should get inside."

"Oh? Afraid you're losing the argument battle? Ha! That proves it. Even you can get beaten at times, Shalimar!"

"No. We should get inside now because it's RAINING!!!"

Emma looked up and realized that it was indeed raining. Quite hard, too. "Damnit!! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Now I'm getting all soaked!"

"Come on! Follow me!" Shalimar grabbed her bag and ran off in the direction of their room, leaving a soaking Emma struggling to run with her bag.

"Shalimar! You're not getting away that easily!" She threw a psi blast towards Shalimar's head. It hit Shalimar square in the back of the head, causing her to stumble and fall down in the water puddles that were already forming on the ground. Her suitcase and the key to the room landed a few inches beside her. Before she could grab them, Emma came by and quickly swiped the key. She ran to the doors and proceeded to open one when she realized she had no idea if it was the right room or not.

Shalimar saw this and got up from the ground, standing in the rain and smiling at the panicked look on the young woman's face. "What's wrong, Emma? Not as smart as you thought you were? Now it's my turn to play!"

Emma yelped and tried to run away, but Shalimar caught her before she even took 3 steps. Shalimar grabbed her around the waist and started walking backwards to the outside pool. Emma was putting up a good struggling fight, but not good enough in Shalimar's case. In order to keep Emma from squirming and to gain more control, Shalimar turned Emma around and threw her over her shoulder, facing the pool and breaking out into a run. 

The gate was in the way but Shalimar paid no attention to it as she jumped over using her feral strength. Luckily there was no one else there to see her. Before throwing Emma in, she decided to let Emma say a last few words. "So, any last words before I spell out your doom?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Play with this!" Emma turned her head and shot another psi blast to Shalimar's head. This caused Shalimar to drop her and she ran to the gate, desperately trying to climb over. She was already soaking wet from the rain, and she didn't want to get in the pool to get even worse. She managed to climb over and drop to the ground, but Shalimar had already gotten out of her stupor and knew exactly where Emma was. 

Shalimar jumped over the gate once again, and landed before Emma. "Bad little Emma. I think now's the time for your punishment." And with that, she grabbed Emma once again, but this time, she opened the gate and ran to the pool, not giving Emma a chance for any more last words. She jumped into the deep end, taking Emma down with her. As soon as they hit the bottom, Shalimar let go of Emma and swam her way up to the top. She came up breaking the surface of the water and gasped for air, laughing as she pictured the reaction that might be on Emma's face when she also came up. Shalimar hated water, but it was times like these that made it an exception to her.

Unbeknownst to Shalimar, Emma didn't have time to take a breath when she hit the water's surface. The cold shock of the water caused her to release whatever leftover oxygen she had in her lungs. She had tried to hold on to Shalimar, but the older woman had already let go and swam to the surface. Now Emma was left on the bottom, trying to swim up but to no avail. The loss of oxygen caused her energy to go below the normal rate and she found she couldn't move anymore. 

As dotted spots of black came into her vision, she couldn't help but think about death. _Who would've thought? I never thought I'd die in the pool of an inn. Especially when one of my teammates was close enough to rescue me…_

Her thoughts died down as the darkness overtook her vision and she fell into a deep unconsciousness…

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Oh, my gosh! What's going to happen?! Will Shalimar realize Emma's condition, or is this the end of our favorite one-of-a-kind telempath? The next chapter will reveal all! 

Don't forget to review. I really would like to see what ya'll thought of this chapter. I think I did pretty well with it. Well, that's what I think at least. But then again, it's not about what I thought, it's about what **you** thought. So what do you think? Great? Stupid? All comments welcome, including flames.


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